[Was the Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands surprising?].

The world's largest outbreak of Q fever swept the Netherlands between 2007 and 2010. The disease seemed to take us by surprise. Thousands of people fell ill, dozens of people died and patients continue to suffer from chronic Q fever even today. Eventually, tens of thousands of pregnant dairy goats were killed to prevent the causative agent of Q fever, Coxiella burnetii, to spread. The outbreak and its consequences still resonate in court cases, regional politics and reports by the National Ombudsman. How could this have happened? The most common explanation is that collaboration between veterinarians and physicians was not good enough. But is this the right analysis? Historical research provides a different perspective.